Just like a product’s market’s needs evolve over time, so do its needs with the next generation of talent and expertise.
Generally speaking the Agile methodology is: Plan > Design > Develop > Test > Deploy > Review > Repeat. It’s a process that runs over the course of a short period of time, often with some variation of overlap to keep respective teams busy (i.e. while development for X is underway, perhaps Y is being planned).
Similarly, you can take the same approach with how you iterate on your CV and/or resume.
Plan what value your CV/resume will highlight to its target audience.
Design the structure and format it will be delivered in.
Develop (write/type) and get your hook, content, and quantifiable metrics on paper.
Test (proofread) and check for typos, messaging errors, etc.
Deploy (launch) and get your CV/resume out into the market.
Review how it performs; does it get attention, responses, interview, etc.?
Repeat; with the information you have, start from Plan.
How quickly you run through the cycle depends on how quickly you get feedback you can use (remember, no feedback is feedback, too). From my experience and those of people I’ve helped over the years, a sweet spot tends to be around 2-4 weeks each cycle; less if you get useful feedback pretty quickly, more if it takes a bit more time.
As a caveat, I must say that this really only works if you have a holistic approach to getting feedback with your CV/resume. At minimum, you should be collecting feedback from:
– CV/resume critiques from people in your target market
– Referrals turning into interviews or rejections
– And of course, job applications turning into interviews or rejections
Don’t let the value you provide get dusty on a shelf. Keep yourself aligned with the market and:
Give your CV and/or resume the Agile treatment.